kam

Hello all, another mini trip report which might be of use to those looking for a different place to spend some time on a trip up the California coast. We drove quickly from the Bay area down to Santa Maria on the way into LA for a family graduation. Santa Maria because my husband is hooked on Sta. Maria barbeque and he knew he could find some at the Santa Maria Inn. Not only do they serve barbeque in the dining room, but the rooms are quite reasonable, the pool is relaxing and there is a wonderful wine tasting room in the basement with excellent local choices. This is the home of the famous "Rancheros club" and the area around here is horse country, home of the thoroughbred race horses from California. Santa Maria itself is not pretty, but makes a convenient stop.

kam

Part II
After a weekend in Santa Monica and family, we headed out early to Montecito just south of Santa Barbara. Visited friends there and then took a few hours to wander in Santa Barbara, a place we've been many times. On Sundays, there is always and art/craft fair at the beach which was a nice treat and then we walked up State Street to the Wine Cask restaurant and wine shop.Lots of B&Bs in Santa Barbara, cute restaurants and the lovely mission. But, we didn't stop in Sta. Barbara and instead headed up the coast to Ballard in the Santa Inez valley region. Ballard is tiny beyond belief and the main reason to go there is the charming Ballard Inn. We spent the next 3 nights in the Green Room, enjoying delicious breakfast, wine and hors d'oevres in the afternoon and one scruptious dinner in the dining room of the inn, the Cafe Chardonnay. Our room was about $200 per night and you can see them at www.ballardinn.com The other posh resort is in Los Olivos, the Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn. Los Olivos is certainly worth a visit for its little galleries and shops and tasting rooms. A small restaurant in town is Massimi, very quiet on a Tuesday night but good food and some local wine folks. Dinner for two with good wine--$80. A very famous reastaurant in the area is in Buellton, The Hitching Post. You will find a very retro atmosphere (complete with relish plates and shrimp cocktails) and some of the best steaks and ribs in California. They have their own winery, so order their wine with dinner. Dinner for two with Hitching Post wine--$75. www.hitchingpost2.com It sounds as if the purpose of the trip was to eat, but in fact, it was to taste wines and fill up the back of our station wagon with great, well priced selections.

kam

Part III There are two appellations here: Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley and each is slightly different. The entire area is unusual in that the valleys and prevailing cool winds run west to east rather than north to south. From Santa Barbara, a beautiful ride is over the San marcos Pass on hwy 154 and that's an ideal way to begin your tasting. Our favorites in the Santa Ynez appellation were Gainey, Sunstone,Sanford,Mosby,Babcock, Brander, Firestone, Zaca Mesa (Which has an outstanding picnic area!). Most wineries have picnic areas, some are better than others. In the Santa Maria appellation we liked Rancho Sisquoc (and detour to see the pretty little church on the top of the hill just as you turn off Foxen Canyon Road), Byron, and Cambria. There is a Bien Nacido Vineyard which is a prime producer but is not open to the public. They produce Qupe, Au Bon Climat and Hitching Post, so try to taste these wines at a tasting room in town. Some of the wineries are doing Rhone wines which are very interesting. It's really hard not to like them all.

kam

Part IV (and trying to be brief)
Also in this area of note are Solvang which is a Danish founded town that many find just too cutesy. It's OK for a quick visit to see the pretty Mission Santa Ynez and to buy a pastry at the wonderful Danish bakery. Off hwy 154 is pretty Lake Cachuma which makes a quiet, restful detour for a picnic. The Alisal Guest Ranch is nearby and provides luxury ranch accomodations to some of the LA famous as well as to those willing to pay the $400 a day price. In Buellton is the famous Pea Soup Anderson's restaurant a favorite of tourists driving the 101. In Santa Ynez Grappolo is a good little Italian, but can be very noisy on the weekends. And, over on hwy 154 in Los Olivos is Mattei's tavern, an old stage coach inn. From the Santa Inez Valley, you can easily return to 101 taking it to San Luis Obispo and then on up hwy 1 to Morro Bay, Cambria and Big Sur. Or you could head back south on 154 and then cut up on 33 to Ojai, another small not as touristy town of California before returning to Los Angeles. We did neither, having to get back home, we stayed on 101 and drove in 4 hours from Ballard to the Bay area with a short stop for wonderful Mexican lunch at Las Fuentes in Gonzales in the Salinas Valley. If you go that route, you might want to stop at the Soledad mission or at the Steinbeck house in Salinas. Another side trip might be Pinnacles National Monument where there are more earthquakes than any other place in California. Hope this report encourages some of you to get off the beaten track driving up the coast.

Robin

Hi Kam--

Do you happen to recall which wineries were offering Rhone wines? That sounds very interesting to me. I've been to the area, and have really enjoyed it in the past-- glad you did too!

ncgrrl

Hi Kam,

Thanks for the reports. Could you expand on Santa Barbara BBQ please?

As a big fan of eastern N.C. style bbq (pulled/chopped pork with a vinegar based sauce) I love to hear about different styles of barbecue. In North Carolina there is a war over the proper type of barbecue -- the eastern style (mentioned above) or the western style (sliced pig with a tomato based sauce).

Mmm, barbecue

Kam

Robin--the exciting part of this wine area is that they are still experimenting and pulling out some vines to plant others that might do better. It's a very complicated micro climate area. Rhones that I know of are: (those with * can't be tasted at the winery, instead at the Los Olivos tasting rooms in Los Olivos)
Rideau, Zaca Mesa (the best!), Io (a spinoff of Byron), *Jaffurs, *Qupe, Curtis (a spin off of Firestone), Adrew Murray, Arthur Earl, Beckmen, Fess Parker, and *Alban. Our very favorite winery thought is Mosby with its beautiful CA wild flower labels and yummy, yummy Italian varietals. Do you know them? They're a bit off the beaten track.Hope you'll get back to Santa Inez--it's really great country. For ncgrrl: The Santa Maria barbeque is traditionally a tri tip roast (pretty much unknown outside CA, but it's a sirloin tip of about 3 lbs.) rubbed with some special rub (secret but you can mail order it, I think from the people who run the Western Tavern. Key to the grilling is a red oak fire--no charcoal--the oaks are indigenous to this area. Then, the meat must be served with a side of pinquitos beans (small pink beans, very tasty), macaroni and cheese (don't ask me!), a salad and bread. The best Sta. MAria barbeque is found on weekends when scout troops or the Lions Club or the Knights of Columbus set up in a parking lot at the malls in Santa Maria. Messy but good. The second reliable place to get it is at the Santa Maria Inn. They offer a first course, potato and lots of napkins! If you want to research, I think there's a website somewhere.

xxx

It's spelled Santa Ynez.

kam

ncgrrl: try www.santamaria.com/santamariabbq
www.farwesterntavern.com
www.susieqbrand.com
Note that this is a beef barbeque and the essential part is the red oak fire. (maybe just oak wood would do, but the natives would disagree!) The salsa is also distinctive--not too hot and perfect with the beans and meat. Yummy! P.S. I love both the NC style barbeques also.

ncgrrl

Thanks Kam for the info on Santa Maria bbq.

I'm glad to know civic groups on the other side of the country also have good barbecue fundraisers.

Mmm, barbecue. (Mouth drooling like Homer Simpson)